Michael Sorenson | Profiles RNS

Michael D. Sorenson, PhD

Professor

Boston University College of Arts and Sciences

Biology

PhD, University of Minnesota at Twin Cities
BA, Luther College

Websites

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ORCID : 0000-0001-5375-2917

Michael Sorenson is the Associate Dean of the Faculty, Natural Sciences and a professor of biology.

His research interests are primarily in the behavioral and evolutionary ecology and population genetics/genomics of brood parasitic birds (species that reproduce only by parsitizing the parental care behavior of other species). His recent work has focused on the brood parasitic indigobirds (Vidua spp.) of Africa, in which learning and mimicry of host songs facilitates an evolutionary process of speciation by host shift, and on the speciation genomics of a group of 12 Lonchura munia species in Papua New Guinea and northern Australia that represent an extraordinary example of rapid evolutionary diversification. Together with colleagues, Mike has also recently examined the genetic basis of host specific adaptation in several different groups of brood parasitic birds, and worked on the evolutionary ecology of bat populations, including those affected by white-nose syndrome, an emerging fungal pathogen that has devastated bat populations in eastern North America.

Associate Dean of the Faculty, Natural Sciences
Boston University College of Arts and Sciences

BU Research

Collaborative Research: Comparative Genomics of Host-specific Adaptation and Life History Evolution in Brood Parasitic Birds
05/15/2018 - 04/30/2024 (PI)
National Science Foundation
DEB-1754311

EAGER: The Geonomic Landscape of Species Divergence in an Extraordinary Avian Radiation
07/15/2014 - 06/30/2018 (PI)
National Science Foundation
DEB-1446085

White-nose Syndrome Research at Boston University
09/01/2013 - 12/15/2017 (PI)
Bat Conservation International, Inc.

DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Parent-embryo interactions in glassfrogs - female mating strategies, paternal effort and adaptive plasticity in hatching
08/01/2015 - 07/31/2016 (Co-Investigator)
National Science Foundation
IOS-1501531

Dissertation Research: Bats, Bugs and Pecans: Using Next-Generation Pyrosequencing to Evaluate Ecosystem Services of Insectivorous Bats
06/01/2012 - 05/31/2015 (PI)
National Science Foundation
DEB-1210806

ASSESSING RISK OF WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME IN NORTH AMERICAN BAT POPULATIONS = A MOLECULAR GENETICS APPROACH
07/01/2010 - 01/01/2015 (PI)
Morris Animal Foundation

Dissertation Research: Speciation Genomics: Expanded Sampling of an Extraordinary Avian Radiation (Katie Stryjewski)
06/01/2012 - 05/31/2014 (PI)
National Science Foundation
DEB-1210810

The Molecular Basis of Convergent Evolution in an Avian Host-Parasite System
05/01/2013 - 12/31/2013 (PI)
British Ornithologists Union

General Support for Research on White-Nose Syndrome
09/01/2011 - 11/30/2013 (Co-Investigator)
The Woodtiger Fund

An Automated Aerial Telemetry System for Tracking Bats
04/01/2012 - 03/31/2013 (PI)
Bat Conservation International, Inc.

Showing 10 of 15 results. Show All Results

Title

Yr	Title	Project-Sub Proj	Pubs

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

Spottiswoode CN, Tong W, Jamie GA, Stryjewski KF, DaCosta JM, Kuras ER, Green A, Hamama S, Taylor IG, Moya C, Sorenson MD. Genetic architecture facilitates then constrains adaptation in a host-parasite coevolutionary arms race. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Apr 26; 119(17):e2121752119. PMID: 35412865; PMCID: PMC9170059; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121752119;

Larison B, Lindsay AR, Bossu C, Sorenson MD, Kaplan JD, Evers DC, Paruk J, DaCosta JM, Smith TB, Ruegg K. Leveraging genomics to understand threats to migratory birds. Evol Appl. 2021 Jun; 14(6):1646-1658. PMID: 34178110; PMCID: PMC8210798; DOI: 10.1111/eva.13231;

Mapel XM, Gyllenhaal EF, Modak TH, DeCicco LH, Naikatini A, Utzurrum RB, Seamon JO, Cibois A, Thibault JC, Sorenson MD, Moyle RG, Barrow LN, Andersen MJ. Inter- and intra-archipelago dynamics of population structure and gene flow in a Polynesian bird. Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2021 03; 156:107034. PMID: 33276120

Wells CP, Lavretsky P, Sorenson MD, Peters JL, DaCosta JM, Turnbull S, Uyehara KJ, Malachowski CP, Dugger BD, Eadie JM, Engilis A. Persistence of an endangered native duck, feral mallards, and multiple hybrid swarms across the main Hawaiian Islands. Mol Ecol. 2019 12; 28(24):5203-5216. PMID: 31736171

Lavretsky P, DaCosta JM, Sorenson MD, McCracken KG, Peters JL. ddRAD-seq data reveal significant genome-wide population structure and divergent genomic regions that distinguish the mallard and close relatives in North America. Mol Ecol. 2019 05; 28(10):2594-2609. PMID: 30941840

DaCosta JM, Miller MJ, Mortensen JL, Reed JM, Curry RL, Sorenson MD. Phylogenomics clarifies biogeographic and evolutionary history, and conservation status of West Indian tremblers and thrashers (Aves: Mimidae). Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2019 07; 136:196-205. PMID: 30999037

Stryjewski KF, Sorenson MD. Mosaic genome evolution in a recent and rapid avian radiation. Nat Ecol Evol. 2017 Dec; 1(12):1912-1922. PMID: 29085063

Gomes ACR, Funghi C, Soma M, Sorenson MD, Cardoso GC. Multimodal signalling in estrildid finches: song, dance and colour are associated with different ecological and life-history traits. J Evol Biol. 2017 Jul; 30(7):1336-1346. PMID: 28434197

Gomes AC, Sorenson MD, Cardoso GC. Speciation is associated with changing ornamentation rather than stronger sexual selection. Evolution. 2016 Dec; 70(12):2823-2838. PMID: 27718251; DOI: 10.1111/evo.13088;

Fossøy F, Sorenson MD, Liang W, Ekrem T, Moksnes A, Møller AP, Rutila J, Røskaft E, Takasu F, Yang C, Stokke BG. Ancient origin and maternal inheritance of blue cuckoo eggs. Nat Commun. 2016; 7:10272. PMID: 26754355; PMCID: PMC4729921; DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10272;

Showing 10 of 57 results. Show More

Pauli M, Chakarov N, Rupp O, Kalinowski J, Goesmann A, Sorenson MD, Krüger O, Hoffman JI. De novo assembly of the dual transcriptomes of a polymorphic raptor species and its malarial parasite. BMC Genomics. 2015; 16:1038. PMID: 26645667; PMCID: PMC4673757; DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2254-1;

Wilder AP, Kunz TH, Sorenson MD. Population genetic structure of a common host predicts the spread of white-nose syndrome, an emerging infectious disease in bats. Mol Ecol. 2015 Nov; 24(22):5495-506. PMID: 26407297; DOI: 10.1111/mec.13396;

Lavretsky P, Dacosta JM, Hernández-Baños BE, Engilis A, Sorenson MD, Peters JL. Speciation genomics and a role for the Z chromosome in the early stages of divergence between Mexican ducks and mallards. Mol Ecol. 2015 Nov; 24(21):5364-78. PMID: 26414437; DOI: 10.1111/mec.13402;

DaCosta JM, Sorenson MD. ddRAD-seq phylogenetics based on nucleotide, indel, and presence-absence polymorphisms: Analyses of two avian genera with contrasting histories. Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2016 Jan; 94(Pt A):122-35. PMID: 26279345; DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.07.026;

Ebel ER, DaCosta JM, Sorenson MD, Hill RI, Briscoe AD, Willmott KR, Mullen SP. Rapid diversification associated with ecological specialization in Neotropical Adelpha butterflies. Mol Ecol. 2015 May; 24(10):2392-405. PMID: 25809206; DOI: 10.1111/mec.13168;

DaCosta JM, Sorenson MD. Amplification biases and consistent recovery of loci in a double-digest RAD-seq protocol. PLoS One. 2014; 9(9):e106713. PMID: 25188270; PMCID: PMC4154734; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106713;

Spottiswoode CN, Stryjewski KF, Quader S, Colebrook-Robjent JF, Sorenson MD. Ancient host specificity within a single species of brood parasitic bird. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Oct 25; 108(43):17738-42. PMID: 21949391; PMCID: PMC3203796; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1109630108;

Sorenson MD, DaCosta JM. Genotyping HapSTR loci: phase determination from direct sequencing of PCR products. Mol Ecol Resour. 2011 Nov; 11(6):1068-75. PMID: 21692999; DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2011.03036.x;

Culumber ZW, Fisher HS, Tobler M, Mateos M, Barber PH, Sorenson MD, Rosenthal GG. Replicated hybrid zones of Xiphophorus swordtails along an elevational gradient. Mol Ecol. 2011 Jan; 20(2):342-56. PMID: 21210879; DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04949.x;

Turmelle AS, Kunz TH, Sorenson MD. A tale of two genomes: contrasting patterns of phylogeographic structure in a widely distributed bat. Mol Ecol. 2011 Jan; 20(2):357-75. PMID: 21143331; DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04947.x;

Sorenson MD, Hauber ME, Derrickson SR. Sexual imprinting misguides species recognition in a facultative interspecific brood parasite. Proc Biol Sci. 2010 Oct 22; 277(1697):3079-85. PMID: 20484239; PMCID: PMC2982058; DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0592;

McCracken KG, Barger CP, Sorenson MD. Phylogenetic and structural analysis of the HbA (alphaA/betaA) and HbD (alphaD/betaA) hemoglobin genes in two high-altitude waterfowl from the Himalayas and the Andes: Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) and Andean goose (Chloephaga melanoptera). Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2010 Aug; 56(2):649-58. PMID: 20434566; DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.04.034;

McCracken KG, Barger CP, Bulgarella M, Johnson KP, Sonsthagen SA, Trucco J, Valqui TH, Wilson RE, Winker K, Sorenson MD. Parallel evolution in the major haemoglobin genes of eight species of Andean waterfowl. Mol Ecol. 2009 Oct; 18(19):3992-4005. PMID: 19754505; DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2009.04352.x;

Krüger O, Sorenson MD, Davies NB. Does coevolution promote species richness in parasitic cuckoos? Proc Biol Sci. 2009 Nov 7; 276(1674):3871-9. PMID: 19692405; PMCID: PMC2817292; DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1142;

Balakrishnan CN, Sefc KM, Sorenson MD. Incomplete reproductive isolation following host shift in brood parasitic indigobirds. Proc Biol Sci. 2009 Jan 22; 276(1655):219-28. PMID: 18812294; PMCID: PMC2674339; DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0733;

Harrigan RJ, Mazza ME, Sorenson MD. Computation vs. cloning: evaluation of two methods for haplotype determination. Mol Ecol Resour. 2008 Nov; 8(6):1239-48. PMID: 21586011; DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2008.02241.x;

Eisenberg DT, Campbell B, Gray PB, Sorenson MD. Dopamine receptor genetic polymorphisms and body composition in undernourished pastoralists: an exploration of nutrition indices among nomadic and recently settled Ariaal men of northern Kenya. BMC Evol Biol. 2008; 8:173. PMID: 18544160; PMCID: PMC2440754; DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-173;

Brown JW, Rest JS, García-Moreno J, Sorenson MD, Mindell DP. Strong mitochondrial DNA support for a Cretaceous origin of modern avian lineages. BMC Biol. 2008; 6:6. PMID: 18226223; PMCID: PMC2267772; DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-6-6;

Njabo KY, Bowie RC, Sorenson MD. Phylogeny, biogeography and taxonomy of the African wattle-eyes (Aves: Passeriformes: Platysteiridae). Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2008 Jul; 48(1):136-49. PMID: 18291681; DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2008.01.013;

Campbell BC, Gray PB, Eisenberg DT, Ellison P, Sorenson MD. Androgen receptor CAG repeats and body composition among Ariaal men. Int J Androl. 2009 Apr; 32(2):140-8. PMID: 18042182

Krüger O, Davies NB, Sorenson MD. The evolution of sexual dimorphism in parasitic cuckoos: sexual selection or coevolution? Proc Biol Sci. 2007 Jun 22; 274(1617):1553-60. PMID: 17439849; PMCID: PMC2211511; DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.0281;

Brennan PL, Prum RO, McCracken KG, Sorenson MD, Wilson RE, Birkhead TR. Coevolution of male and female genital morphology in waterfowl. PLoS One. 2007; 2(5):e418. PMID: 17476339; PMCID: PMC1855079; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000418;

Muñoz-Fuentes V, Vilà C, Green AJ, Negro JJ, Sorenson MD. Hybridization between white-headed ducks and introduced ruddy ducks in Spain. Mol Ecol. 2007 Feb; 16(3):629-38. PMID: 17257118

Balakrishnan CN, Sorenson MD. Dispersal ecology versus host specialization as determinants of ectoparasite distribution in brood parasitic indigobirds and their estrildid finch hosts. Mol Ecol. 2007 Jan; 16(1):217-29. PMID: 17181733

Muñoz-Fuentes V, Green AJ, Sorenson MD, Negro JJ, Vilà C. The ruddy duck Oxyura jamaicensis in Europe: natural colonization or human introduction? Mol Ecol. 2006 May; 15(6):1441-53. PMID: 16629802

Edwards SV, Kingan SB, Calkins JD, Balakrishnan CN, Jennings WB, Swanson WJ, Sorenson MD. Speciation in birds: genes, geography, and sexual selection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 May 3; 102 Suppl 1:6550-7. PMID: 15851678; PMCID: PMC1131863; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0501846102;

Sefc KM, Payne RB, Sorenson MD. Genetic continuity of brood-parasitic indigobird species. Mol Ecol. 2005 Apr; 14(5):1407-19. PMID: 15813780

McCracken K, Sorenson M. Is homoplasy or lineage sorting the source of incongruent mtdna and nuclear gene trees in the stiff-tailed ducks (Nomonyx-Oxyura)? Syst Biol. 2005 Feb; 54(1):35-55. PMID: 15805009

Sorenson MD, Balakrishnan CN, Payne RB. Clade-limited colonization in brood parasitic finches (Vidua spp.). Syst Biol. 2004 Feb; 53(1):140-53. PMID: 14965909

Ramon ML, Lobel PS, Sorenson MD. Lack of mitochondrial genetic structure in hamlets (Hypoplectrus spp.): recent speciation or ongoing hybridization? Mol Ecol. 2003 Nov; 12(11):2975-80. PMID: 14629378

Sorenson MD, Sefc KM, Payne RB. Speciation by host switch in brood parasitic indigobirds. Nature. 2003 Aug 21; 424(6951):928-31. PMID: 12931185

García-Moreno J, Sorenson MD, Mindell DP. Congruent avian phylogenies inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. J Mol Evol. 2003 Jul; 57(1):27-37. PMID: 12962303

Sorenson MD, Oneal E, Garcia-Moreno J, Mindell DP. More taxa, more characters: the hoatzin problem is still unresolved. Mol Biol Evol. 2003 Sep; 20(9):1484-98. PMID: 12777516

Balakrishnan CN, Monfort SL, Gaur A, Singh L, Sorenson MD. Phylogeography and conservation genetics of Eld's deer (Cervus eldi). Mol Ecol. 2003 Jan; 12(1):1-10. PMID: 12492873

Sorenson MD, Payne RB. Molecular genetic perspectives on avian brood parasitism. Integr Comp Biol. 2002 Apr; 42(2):388-400. PMID: 21708732; DOI: 10.1093/icb/42.2.388;

Paxinos EE, James HF, Olson SL, Sorenson MD, Jackson J, Fleischer RC. mtDNA from fossils reveals a radiation of Hawaiian geese recently derived from the Canada goose (Brantacanadensis). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Feb 5; 99(3):1399-404. PMID: 11818543; PMCID: PMC122202

Sorenson MD, Payne RB. A single ancient origin of brood parasitism in African finches: implications for host-parasite coevolution. Evolution. 2001 Dec; 55(12):2550-67. PMID: 11831669

Cao Y, Sorenson MD, Kumazawa Y, Mindell DP, Hasegawa M. Phylogenetic position of turtles among amniotes: evidence from mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Gene. 2000 Dec 23; 259(1-2):139-48. PMID: 11163971

Gibbs HL, Sorenson MD, Marchetti K, Brooke MD, Davies NB, Nakamura H. Genetic evidence for female host-specific races of the common cuckoo. Nature. 2000 Sep 14; 407(6801):183-6. PMID: 11001055

Sorenson MD, Cooper A, Paxinos EE, Quinn TW, James HF, Olson SL, Fleischer RC. Relationships of the extinct moa-nalos, flightless Hawaiian waterfowl, based on ancient DNA. Proc Biol Sci. 1999 Nov 7; 266(1434):2187-93. PMID: 10649633; PMCID: PMC1690346

Sorenson MD, Ast JC, Dimcheff DE, Yuri T, Mindell DP. Primers for a PCR-based approach to mitochondrial genome sequencing in birds and other vertebrates. Mol Phylogenet Evol. 1999 Jul; 12(2):105-14. PMID: 10381314

Mindell DP, Sorenson MD, Dimcheff DE, Hasegawa M, Ast JC, Yuri T. Interordinal relationships of birds and other reptiles based on whole mitochondrial genomes. Syst Biol. 1999 Mar; 48(1):138-52. PMID: 12078637

Mindell DP, Sorenson MD, Dimcheff DE. An extra nucleotide is not translated in mitochondrial ND3 of some birds and turtles. Mol Biol Evol. 1998 Nov; 15(11):1568-71. PMID: 12572620

Mindell DP, Sorenson MD, Dimcheff DE. Multiple independent origins of mitochondrial gene order in birds. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Sep 1; 95(18):10693-7. PMID: 9724766; PMCID: PMC27957

Johnson KP, Sorenson MD. Comparing molecular evolution in two mitochondrial protein coding genes (cytochrome b and ND2) in the dabbling ducks (Tribe: Anatini). Mol Phylogenet Evol. 1998 Aug; 10(1):82-94. PMID: 9751919

Sorenson MD, Fleischer RC. Multiple independent transpositions of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences to the nucleus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Dec 24; 93(26):15239-43. PMID: 8986794; PMCID: PMC26387

Cooper A, Rhymer J, James HF, Olson SL, McIntosh CE, Sorenson MD, Fleischer RC. Ancient DNA and island endemics. Nature. 1996 Jun 6; 381(6582):484. PMID: 8632821

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 57 publications over 23 distinct years, with a maximum of 5 publications in 2003 and 2007 and 2015

Bar chart showing 57 publications over 23 distinct years, with a maximum of 5 publications in 2003 and 2007 and 2015

Year	Publications
1996	2
1998	3
1999	3
2000	2
2001	1
2002	2
2003	5
2004	1
2005	3
2006	1
2007	5
2008	4
2009	3
2010	4
2011	2
2014	1
2015	5
2016	2
2017	2
2019	3
2020	1
2021	1
2022	1

Media Mentions

Why are some bird eggs so colorful? Blame an evolutionary arms race

Salon 4/17/2022

Thanks to a matriarchal gene, this bird can trick others into caring for its eggs

Popular Science 4/13/2022

Scientists solve the egg forging mystery

Earth.com 4/12/2022

In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

brood parasitic birds
Avian behavioral ecology
speciation
population genomics
molecular systematics

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